


From Your Head To Your Toes (I Would Be There)

by agirlnamedtruth



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Anal Sex, Dirty Talk, Dubious Consent, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, Frottage, Hand Jobs, M/M, Voyeurism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-31
Updated: 2014-03-31
Packaged: 2018-01-17 05:23:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1375363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/agirlnamedtruth/pseuds/agirlnamedtruth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merlin likes to follow Percival and Gwaine but what happens when he himself is followed?</p>
            </blockquote>





	From Your Head To Your Toes (I Would Be There)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [digthewriter](https://archiveofourown.org/users/digthewriter/gifts).



> Written for [this prompt](http://camelot-land.livejournal.com/10826.html?thread=184394#t184394) at the Camelot Land Comment Ficathon.
> 
> Title is from [Fly On The Wall](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5Gg0fIBCEY) by t.A.T.u.

Merlin hid behind the wall, just a few inches shy of the windowsill, his heart thumping because he'd nearly been caught. Again.

He'd never intended to be _that_ servant, the one that spies on people. But everyone kept sneaking about at night, getting into trouble, nearly getting themselves killed. By the end, Morgana left the castle more times at night than she did during the day and look how that had ended. Now Arthur was at it again, sneaking off to who knows where. It was getting ridiculous.

So when he noticed Percival sneaking off in the middle of the night, he didn't even think twice before following him. It had become a second nature, next to lying and generally flouting every other law of Camelot.

He'd actually been following Arthur but Arthur knew him too well and was too good at getting away from him by now so in the second he'd let his eyes wander, he'd lost him. But Merlin wasn't too worried, this was the third time this week he'd snuck off and it was only Thursday. He always made it back by morning. Merlin assumed he was visiting Gwen and didn't dare confirm his suspicions for fear that Arthur would have his head off.

Percival on the other hand, he'd never been one to sneak about before. It was kind of hard to given his stature. Merlin shrugged to himself, falling into step a few yards behind him - it just made him easier to follow.

That first night, he'd followed him all the way to the cells. The next time it had been the cellars. The time after the grain store. The library. The vaults. That one room that didn't seem to house anything at all. The throne room. The council chambers. The training fields. That little shed where the lances were kept between melees. He'd followed Percival all about the castle and he always followed him to the same thing. Gwaine.

Merlin had tried following Gwaine but he never seemed to lead him anywhere but the tavern, casually turning to tell him the first round was on him before he ducked through the door.

Gwaine knew what he was doing or what he was trying to do at least. Whether he knew he was more successful following Percival was another matter. If he did then he couldn't have said anything about it because Percival kept leading him straight to Gwaine. None of this would have shocked anyone. Since Lancelot had died, they were inseparable. But just how literally inseparable they were was rather shocking.

Merlin hadn't known what to expect that first night and he'd nearly knocked over the card table that the guards used to keep themselves amused over. It went quite a way to explain why there were no guards that night. Nor any prisoners. 

At first all he could hear was muffled voices and he'd been curious. Then he heard what he'd thought were the beginnings of a fight and he was worried. Then he dared get close enough to glimpse them and he was... well, surprised wasn't the word.

His moral compass and sense of propriety had been quite strong back then and he'd retreated backwards until he couldn't see them anymore, unable to take his eyes off of what he saw. 

He'd fallen asleep that night with the sights and sounds still echoing through his mind like a particularly stubborn dream. He'd woken that morning hard, but that wasn't anything new, and extremely irritable, but then that wasn't anything new at six in the morning on a Sunday either.

But he'd stayed honourable, not daring to bring himself relief until he was sure he could think about other things. Other things being Arthur but then nobody was perfect.

The next time he followed Percival he was sure they would be an explanation for what he'd seen the last time but he was met with the same predicament, watching something so inherently private and not meant for his eyes yet unable to turn away. He'd not stayed that time either, to his strength but his weakness betrayed him when he was back in his bed, a slicked palm running relentlessly over his cock, trying to recreate what he'd seen between Gwaine and Percival. He felt bad afterwards but in the moment, he'd never felt anything better.

After that he didn't try to pretend he didn't know exactly what was going on and every time he stayed a little bit longer until one night, he got the full show. On the realisation that once they weren’t fucking each other senseless, they’d probably come to their senses and notice him, he’d fled. That night he’d made it back to bed, covered in sweat and his chest heaving before he’d even thought to lay a finger on himself.

After that it became an art for him to perfect. A dance to learn the steps too. A game to learn the rules of. Even if Gwaine and Percival weren’t aware they were playing too. He still attempted to follow Arthur some nights, just to reaffirm that in his heart it was Arthur he loved but when he lost Arthur, as he inevitably did these days, he always found Percival and Gwaine.

Tonight Percival had led him to the armoury. Or rather he led him just outside the armoury. There was a window. Merlin had learned early on that it was better to have a slightly obscured view rather than risk being caught out in the open. One could turn away from a window and then look back. Much better than having to flee for fear a 6' 5" knight would knock your block off.

They were just getting started when they nearly caught Merlin and he’d had to duck out of sight for a moment, staring at the wall ahead of him instead. That was the most dangerous time. When they all still remembered they were supposed to be sneaking around. A few touches in the right place and Merlin doubted they’d notice if Uther himself scrambled out of his sick bed to run a commentary on their performance.

That was exactly why tonight, by some blessing, Merlin managed to keep a clear enough head to not touch himself while watching. Not yet, at least. He needed all of his sense sharp because it was one thing to be caught at it and a whole different thing to be caught watching others at it. 

He counted to twenty, sure that the creak that had scared them all had passed and that he could turn back towards the window. He found Gwaine and Percival had migrated to the large table that sat in the middle of the armoury and was for putting spare weapons on. Not usually for putting a knight on.

Saying that, it was much better use of the table, Merlin had to admit. It aligned Gwaine's body perfectly to Percival's hips and when Percival grabbed Gwaine by the thighs and pulled him down so he was barely even on the table anymore; there wasn't an inch between them. Merlin had to crane his neck to see as Percival eased his cock into Gwaine, lifting his legs so that Gwaine would obligingly lock them around Percival's waist, restricting Merlin's view further.

Merlin bit down on his lip, trying not to huff in annoyance. He could still appreciate Gwaine's bared arse and Percival's strong thighs, Percival's whole toned silhouette in fact, where he had the perfect side view. And he could still watch, memorising every little detail, every snap of Percival's hips, every filthy thing that fell from Gwaine's mouth - if only half-heard and half-imagined. He knew Gwaine well enough to fill in the blanks. And he knew in this position, it was colourful descriptions of Percival's size and now hard Gwaine liked it. Merlin could almost mouth along; sometimes he did, quite without realising it. Not tonight though. There was another creak and Merlin was sure it wasn't the table.

He swallowed, not moving away from the window because neither Percival nor Gwaine seemed to have noticed. He kept his eyes on the slide of Percival's cock into Gwaine's arse, each measured thrust pounding into Gwaine upon his request. But he couldn't shake the feeling running down his spine, the hairs rising on the back of his neck. His heart raced and then stopped as he felt a hand wrap around the nape of his neck.

"Shhh," a voice whispered. "We don't want to disturb them."

Merlin frowned but relaxed despite the danger. He knew that voice.

He closed his eyes, willing his cock down just in case he could still explain all this away. "Arthur... it's not what it looks like."

"And what does it look like?" Arthur asked, his voice tight with what Merlin supposed was anger. But he hadn't carted Merlin off to the cells yet and that was something. He still had hold of his neck though and he didn't give any hint that he was planning to let go anytime soon.

Merlin sorted through his mind for the appropriate words, ones that didn't describe his friends fucking. "Well, I suppose it looks like I'm sneaking about the castle at night."

"It seems you're not the only one," Arthur said, putting his hand on the window grate, effectively keeping Merlin standing at the window, looking in.

"Yeah, I er... I guess I stumbled across them in my... sneaking about." Merlin tried not to let his eyes be drawn to Percival's large hand curling around Gwaine's cock. "That's new, right?" Merlin tried belatedly.

"No, it's not, they've been at it for weeks," Arthur disagreed, his fingers distractedly stroking the hair at the base of Merlin's head. "But you know that, don't you, Merlin?"

"Nope, I didn't know anything, completely oblivious me, couldn't find my own backside, you said it yourself the other day." Merlin blushed at his choice of words but Arthur couldn't see that in the dark, thankfully.

"I know you've been following them," Arthur whispered, his voice going from tight to outright dangerous. "I know you have because you were following me following them. Only I was going to tell them to stop changing the schedule to be together because it was getting on everyone else's wick." Arthur gripped the grill tighter, forcing Merlin to step right towards the centre of the window. "Now why were you following them... and me, for that manner."

Merlin whirled around, no longer caring if he got caught. Arthur could think what he wanted about him when it came to Gwaine and Percival but he would not have Arthur thinking he'd been following him for the same reason. Not with Gwen, not with anyone. He couldn't even bear thinking about it, let alone watching it.

"Look if you would stop sneaking about, I wouldn't have to follow you. Don't you get how dangerous it is for you to wander about out there, no guards, nobody knowing where to start looking if you don't come back? I worry, alright? I worry about you. And don't start on the whole being the prince thing because it doesn't make you any less of a prat. If you knew how close you've come to getting killed on a pretty much daily basis then..." Merlin took a breath, changing course before he incriminated himself any further. "Look, I don't care if you want sneak off and be with Gwen, just leave a bloody note or something."

Arthur let his hand fall from Merlin's neck, with them facing each other like they were; it had become way to intimate. "How long have you been following me?"

Merlin dropped his eyes to the floor at Arthur's accusatory tone. "A while. But not really... I always lose you before the small town. So, you don't have to worry, I haven't seen anything."

"That's because I wasn't going to the small town or to Gwen," Arthur sighed, taking Merlin by the shoulders and turning him back to the window. "I was going to _them_."

Merlin looked at them again. Gwaine's smart mouth was only capable of half words now, the rest melting into moans and Percival had beads of sweat running down his broad back. Merlin's cock throbbed treacherously and his heart raced from the added danger. They'd be finished soon and if Arthur kept him there much longer, they'd be caught.

"Look," Arthur started, jolting him out of his danger laced thrill. "I understand why you like it. See?" Arthur pressed himself into Merlin's back and he did see. Or rather he felt it, why Arthur understood. He felt it pressing forcefully against him in the form of a royal prick and for once, that wasn't a reference to Arthur's behaviour.

"But it has to stop," Arthur said glumly, reminding him of a talk they'd had long ago when Arthur had thought he was interested in Morgana. He wasn't allowed to see her; he wasn't allowed to see Gwaine and Percival, in a manner of speaking. Arthur really was becoming detrimental to his imagined love life. Of course, his stupid unrequited love of Arthur made Arthur pretty detrimental on his real love life too but he only had himself to blame for that.

"Why?" Merlin asked anyway, like he needed any other reason than Arthur asking.

"Because they're our friends and it's not right to spy on them,” Arthur said reluctantly.

"Then why are you here?" Merlin pointed out, trying to turn to face Arthur but he wouldn’t let him.

"Because... I'm the prince."

Merlin huffed, a comeback ready on his tongue but Arthur beat him to it.

"And I'm weak and I'm an ass. Happy?"

Merlin shrugged. He'd had his one mildly interesting pastime ruined and the chances of him having anything decent to think about at night for the next few months were dropping by the second.

"And tonight I wasn't following them, I was following you."

“What?” Merlin said, his heart racing and his mouth going dry, his attention well and truly got. “Why were you following me?”

“Because you weren’t following me,” Arthur said, his tone distinctly jealous. “I... missed it.”

“Wait, so you followed me to tell me off for following them because you want me to follow you again?” Merlin said, trying to wrap his head around it. “Even though you’ve just given me a bollocking for following you in the first place. You’re mad, you know that?”

“I know,” Arthur said but he curled a hand around Merlin’s hip possessively. “Believe me I know. But it’s not that you were following me, it’s that you thought I was sneaking about with Guinevere. That you would think I would do that. Like she’d even let me... but that’s not the point, I haven’t tried.”

“Arthur, if you’re not going to start making sense any time soon then I think we should move this discussion elsewhere, you know, somewhere where we can’t get accused of peeping,” Merlin said, his attention distracted by Percival swearing.

“No,” Arthur said, his hand sliding from Merlin’s hip to the outline of his cock, tight against his breeches, making Merlin repeat Percival’s curse. “We can never talk about this. We shouldn’t even be talking about it now.”

Merlin wanted to ask what it was exactly they were talking about, Percival and Gwaine, him following them, him following Arthur, Arthur and Gwen or... him and Arthur? But Arthur pressed against him again and this time, he stayed there. Merlin swallowed, there was no forgetting or ignoring Arthur’s cock now, nor the fact it was hard, nor the fact that Arthur was purposefully rubbing it against the cleft of his arse while his hand lazily picked at the fastenings on his trousers. There were a hundred questions he _wanted_ to ask but he didn’t want to risk bringing logic or reason into this. Not if Arthur meant what he said, that this had to be the only time.

“Arthur...” he couldn’t help saying when Arthur slipped his hand into his smallclothes and wrapped his fingers around Merlin’s cock.

“Shh, just... look at them or something,” Arthur said distractedly. “Pretend whatever it is you like to pretend.”

Merlin sighed, he _liked_ to pretend it was Arthur and him or sometimes he didn’t have to pretend at all, just watching Percival and Gwaine was enough. There was no fantasy he could call on that wasn’t reality now. He couldn’t think on Arthur without moaning his name and try as he might, he couldn’t not think on him either because the prat was tossing him off just a bit too well and fuck, this was just about every filthy thing that had ever rolled through his mind, actually happening.

And then Arthur’s hand stilled and Merlin nearly cried out, only stopping himself because he’d seen what Arthur had seen. Percival stopping, pulling away. Merlin heart skipped a beat and he desperately tried to clear his mind as it threatened to fog over. Surely he hadn’t blacked out on Percival coming. And what about Gwaine, he was still flushed and hard.

Merlin breathed heavily, trying to pull himself together, leaning on the grated window even though that was no hiding place at all. Luckily Percival and Gwaine didn’t look their way. They were too busy rearranging themselves, Gwaine scrambling onto his knees on the table so Percival could take him from behind. Oh gods, they could both easily glance in their direction now.

Merlin let out a shaky breath, leaning back on Arthur, about to say something along the lines of _this is madness_ but Arthur gripped him tighter and resumed his strokes.

“That was a close one,” Arthur commented, his mouth pressing to Merlin’s neck, confusing him even more.

“It’s almost like you want us to get caught,” Merlin replied, each word measured because he couldn’t bloody think anymore.

“And you don’t? You were closer to finishing in the moment I stopped than you were when I was touching you and you know it,” Arthur said, reinforcing his point with another nudge of his hips.

Merlin bit his lip in annoyance. How could Arthur get that whole sentence out, and rub himself off against him, without so much as pausing for breath.

“You’d know, wouldn’t you?” Merlin said, not even sure what he meant, only that he had to claw back something before he came all over Arthur’s hand with not so much as a single shred of dignity. He bit his lip harder; he could control himself better than this.

“Well, yes, you’ve got me there,” Arthur said, shifting his hips again. “If I was any kind of proper master, I’d have you flogged for something like this – a servant spying on knights of the realm – but like with most things, you manage to completely cock it up for me.”

“Is that a joke?” Merlin asked before he could stop himself.

“And like with everything else, you don’t seem to get how serious thi-”

“If this is serious,” Merlin bit out, interrupting him and not even caring. “Then I would really like to know what you’d do to me in a whimsical situation.”

“Would you?” Arthur asked, the bravado dropping from his voice for a moment.

Merlin shrugged, Arthur could read him the court menu right now and he’d still get off. “Yeah, go on then.”

“Gods, Merlin, I would have you every which way if it were that easy,” Arthur lamented.

“There are oils, I’ve seen them-”

“That’s not what I meant,” Arthur said, biting down on Merlin’s neck to shut him up. “I meant, if I could just take you to my bed and be done with it, I would have by now.”

“Oh,” Merlin said, closing his eyes as Arthur twisted his wrist and then opening them again as Gwaine moaned as loudly as Merlin longed to.

“If we could even do that, what they do, fuck in secret, but if me and you both know about them already...” Arthur paused and breathed, his hips stuttering slightly as if the thought alone controlled them. “We couldn’t risk it.”

“Have you considered,” Merlin started, his hand coming up to grip the grate, his hips pushing forward into Arthur’s hand impatiently. He wanted that. He wanted Arthur. He wanted to come before they came to their senses. “That nobody has found us but us. That makes us better at this than them.”

“Merlin, we can’t,” Arthur said but his tone was enough to convince Merlin that he actually wanted to. “Imagine if we did get caught, like that, everyone would-”

“Fuck, Arth-” Merlin shouted before Arthur’s hand was clamped over his mouth, the idea of them not only together, but together like _that_ and being watched, being caught, _everyone_ seeing them and knowing... it was too much for him.

Before he knew what was what, his back was pressed against the wall by the window and he couldn’t see anything but Arthur. He gave one last shudder and gave up entirely, resting his head against the stone. When he opened his eyes again, there was silence. Only his breathing and Arthur’s muttering and the vague notion of his trousers being yanked up again, Arthur wiping his hand on them as he did so.

“Do you think they heard?” Merlin asked wearily. He was just about done with all reasonable thought for the night.

“Merlin, Geoffrey down in the library probably heard you,” Arthur pointed out but he let him go without actually threatening him with anything.

“Alright, let’s go then,” Merlin suggested but Arthur didn’t move.

“That’s it, _alright, let’s go_?” Arthur asked, glaring at him with wide eyes, mostly in annoyance but there was a little bit of fear too, Merlin knew the look.

“We have to go anyway, before Percival and Gwaine come out and you said we couldn’t talk about this again so... yeah, let’s go,” Merlin said before he lost his nerve entirely. If this wasn’t to happen ever again, he already knew more than he wanted to. 

“Fine,” Arthur bit out, grabbing Merlin’s shoulder and pulling him forward, pushing him ahead of him.

“So we just pretend you never caught me, right?” Merlin asked, pushing his luck while he still could.

“Sure,” Arthur said, dragging the word out sarcastically.

Merlin sighed and kept walking. He was going to pay for pissing Arthur off tomorrow, he just knew it. But he was being cruel to be kind. If nothing could happen then Arthur didn’t need to know how he really felt. Merlin knew now that ignorance was in fact bliss.

“Goodnight then,” Merlin said when their paths split. 

He didn’t wait for Arthur to answer before he stepped away from him but he was pulled sharply backwards by his collar and shoved in the opposite direction.

“Er, Arthur, my chambers are that way...”

“Yes, they are,” Arthur acknowledged, letting his hand linger on Merlin’s neck. “But mine are that way.”

“So they are,” Merlin said, trying not to look over his shoulder and grin, and failing miserably. Oh well, he could always find another hobby.

**Author's Note:**

> As of 01/01/18, I'm opting to disable comments. [More information here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/13077201).


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